5.  The applicant was born in 1963 and lives in Chişinău.
6.  He worked as Manager-in-Chief of the State company “Inspectorate for the Transport of Freight and Passengers”, a subdivision of the Ministry of Transportation (“the employer”).
7.  In October 2001 the applicant was dismissed from his job. He brought a court action against the Ministry challenging the lawfulness of his dismissal.
8.  On 7 November 2001 the Centru District Court ordered the applicant's reinstatement. He was reinstated but was dismissed again on the following day.
9.  He brought another action against the Ministry, asking for his reinstatement and payment of his salary for the entire period of his involuntary absence from work.
10.  On 21 December 2001 the Centru District Court found for the applicant and ordered the Ministry to reinstate him. It also awarded the applicant 3,800 Moldovan lei (MDL) (the equivalent of 323 euros (EUR) at the time).
11.  That judgment was upheld by the Chişinău Regional Court on 13 February 2002 and by the Appellate Court on 23 May 2002.
12.  On 22 December 2001 the Centru District Court issued an enforcement warrant which it sent to the Ministry for enforcement. Since the Ministry failed to comply with the warrant within the time-limit set by the court, it was warned and twice given additional time to comply.
13.  On 5 February 2002 the applicant asked the Prosecutor General's Office to initiate criminal proceedings in respect of the refusal of the Minister of Transport, as head of the Ministry, to comply with a final court judgment. In the reply sent to the applicant on 18 February 2002 he was informed that there was no reason for the prosecution to intervene since it was the court's function to supervise the enforcement. The applicant also complained to other authorities (the prosecution service, the President), to no avail.
14.  On 8 February 2002 the Centru District imposed a fine of MDL 900 on the Minister of Transport for failing to comply with its judgment. The court also awarded the applicant his salary for the period of his involuntary absence from work between 21 December 2001 and 8 February 2002, amounting to MDL 2,219 (EUR 195).
15.  On 27 February 2002 a bailiff confirmed the Ministry's non-compliance with the judgment of 21 December 2001.
16.  On 28 February 2002 the applicant complained to the Ministry of Justice about the non-enforcement of the judgment. On 22 March 2002 the Ministry of Justice informed him of the previous attempts to enforce the judgment and of a new request by the bailiff to have the Minister of Transport fined.
17.  On 9 April 2002 the Centru District Court imposed a fine of MDL 1,350 on the Minister of Transport at the bailiff's request. The court also awarded the applicant his salary for the period of his involuntary absence from work after 8 February 2002, amounting to MDL 3,360 (EUR 195). According to the applicant, the Minister never paid any of the fines imposed by the court.
18.  On 12 September 2002 the applicant was reinstated and on 18 September 2002 he received MDL 9,925, representing his salary arrears. On 1 October 2002 he was reimbursed for the legal expenses incurred during the trial and on 31 October 2002 he received the last sum due to him.